Barcelona to Paris & the lavender fields in-between.
Late June is a wonderful time to arrive in Europe… warm days, lavender fields in bloom, and that intoxicating hum of summer travel. After a whirlwind 48 hours in Spain, we hopped on the high-speed train to the south of France. In just 4 hours, we arrived in Arles and made our way to the AmaKristina, our homebase for the next 7 days while we sailed the Rhône with AmaWaterways.
Dreaming of sakura season: a 38-year journey to Japan.
When I was in third grade, a spark was ignited when I learned about Japan from a cultural exchange teacher who lived in my small town for a year. I was fascinated by her Japanese culture including her kimono, tea ceremony, calligraphy, and origami. I also learned about the cherry blossom season, affectionately known as Sakura season. I decided in third grade that one day I would go to Japan and see her again.